Alas Jericho
by Stephensmat
Summary: When the world ends, and the rules get thrown away, those that survive have to step up to the plate. It's going to get worse before it gets better. DaleSkylar.


Skylar came into the living-room, and found Dale asleep at the desk. He had moved her dad's office desk to the window there; because the moonlight was brightest in there, almost brighter than a table lamb on clear nights. He woke up as she pulled the book out of his hand. "Hey."

"Hey." She gestured at the couch. "Couldn't even make it to the other side of the room this time huh?" She looked at the book. "Alas, Babylon." She smirked at him. "Reading up on current events?"

"Surprised you know it."

"Had to do a book report on it once."

"What did you think?"

"Didn't read it. Paid a senior to give me the answers." She smiled sardonically at him. "Tragic irony or poetic justice, you tell me."

Dale got up and smoothed out his clothes. "I'm gonna go open up the store. Bonnie's supposed to be bringing their corn shipment in early today."

"Eat something first." Skylar told him.

"Not hungry."

"You skipped dinner; you need to eat something before you go."

"I'm fine. Mom."

"Ew." She commented. "It'll keep."

"Oh sure, she'll just leave all the fresh food on the doorstep, and I'm sure it'll be there when I arrive."

"Okay, tell you what, you eat something, and I'll open up for you."

"Skylar..."

"Well, tell you what, you can take an hour to eat and wash up, while I open the store, or you can have the next fifty-nine minutes of me bugging you about it."

"You wouldn't." he sighed. "Of course you would. Why ask? Fine."

Skylar pushed him into the kitchen and headed out.

* * *

An hour later, Dale walked down Main Street to the store, and saw Bonnie driving away... and Skylar behind the counter through the window, and a huge guy looming over her.

Feeling cold suddenly, he started to run.

As he made it to the door, he saw the man run a hand down her face, and she flinched. "Get Away From Her!" he snapped.

Only then did Dale look around the room. Four of them. Only one, standing casually in the corner, had a gun. Their leader, at the counter, had a small scar on his chin. "Who're you?" Scar asked.

"This is my store, I'd like you to leave now." He edged around Scar to stand between him and Skylar, who was still behind the counter.

Scar looked at his friends. "Jericho's got kids in charge." They all laughed. Scar circled Dale, looking him up and down. Dale didn't like it, but at least the man had his back to Skylar.

"If you aren't here to trade, then get out." Dale told them, gripping the baseball bat.

"Well, we've been looking at what you've got, and we'd like to make a deal. You give us everything, and we leave."

A blinding pain exploded behind Dale's head, and he dropped to his knees.

Scar laughed, and Skylar screamed.

Dale came up, swinging the baseball bat up from the floor, into the crotch of the man who hit him from behind.

Scar stopped laughing, drew a switchblade and grabbed a fistful of Dale's hair.

Feeling things spiral out of control, Skylar saw the revolver under the counter, where Gracie had left it. Feeling numb, she picked it up.

One of the gang saw her draw the revolver and quickly reached for his own holster, swinging the gun up fast to point it at her.

Skylar caught the sudden movement and swung the gun blindly toward it.

**BLAM!**

And everything. Stopped.

Everybody was breathing hard.

Skylar's eyes were as big as saucers as she stared at the one who had drawn a gun.

And the gunman slowly dropped to the floor.

"Was that a gunshot?" Somebody asked outside, loud enough to be heard by everyone.

The leader let go of Dale fast. "Go!"

The rest of the gang ran for their lives, rushing the door, just as Jake Green, Heather, Hawkins and Eric came out of the bar across the street.

Dale never took his eyes off Skylar. She saw the man fall, dropped the gun and whirled in a panic, ran outside and threw up. Dale was at her side in an instant, holding her hair back, rubbing her back gently.

"You get after them!" Jake shouted at his brother.

Eric and Hawkins took off down a side-street, trying to follow the rest of the gang as they scattered. Jake ran over to them. "Anyone hurt?"

Dale looked at Jake. "There's one inside, he's hurt."

Jake rushed into the store, as Skylar wiped her mouth shakily. "He was going to kill you."

Dale smiled at her. "My guardian angel."

* * *

_'I shouldn't have left her alone. I shouldn't have left her alone. I shouldn't have left her alone. I shouldn't have left her alone.' _Dale thought numbly as he told Jake and Mayor Green the story. "Is she going to get in trouble for this?"

"They threw the first punch?" Mayor Green clarified.

"Yes sir."

"They attacked first?"

"Yes sir."

"Then this seems like self-defense to me."

"Me too." Jake agreed, putting a hand on Dale's shoulder. "You did good Dale."

"I didn't do anything."

Jake didn't have an answer to that.

April and Heather came into the room.

"How is she?" Dale asked quickly.

"Unhurt, she's mostly shaken up."

"And the gunman?" Mayor Johnston asked.

"He'll be fine. The shot hit his shoulder, missed everything important. He'll be fine."

"Can he answer questions?" Jake asked.

"In the morning." April glanced at Dale. "Skylar wants to go home."

"I don't think it's a good idea for her to be alone right now." Jake shook his head.

"She won't be." Dale said. Without another word he got up and went to see Skylar.

Jake blinked, looked surprised. "Did I miss something?"

"Always, Jake." April grinned.

* * *

Dale was momentarily afraid to touch her. She looked so small, so exhausted, slouched in the chair behind the mayor's desk. One eye opened and saw him. "Can we go home now?"

"Yeah."

Skylar got up, moving slowly like her limbs were made of lead. Dale held out a hand and helped her up.

Skylar didn't let go of his arm the entire way out of the building, where Heather and April were waiting at the door. "Skylar honey? You want us to walk you home?"

"No thanks, I've got Dale."

Both women looked hard at Dale. "I see." April said, but somehow it came out sounding like a vile curse.

Heather was more direct. "Dale, if I find out that you've taken advantage of this situation you Neanderthal, I'll personally see to it that you clean out every septic tank in Jericho with your face, and then I'll key Jake's car and tell him it was you."

The easygoing way she said it made Dale stop mid-step, and Skylar actually pulled him along for a few feet before he started walking again. "School-teacher, you got a dirty mind."

"She does when thinking about Jake." Skylar put in, still only half awake.

April's look to Heather was priceless as the two kids walked away.

Heather turned on her heel and went back inside, passing Jake as he came out. "She'll be fine." She told him shortly.

"Did I miss something else?" Jake asked April in surprise.

"Always Jake, always."

* * *

Skylar looked much calmer from the walk home. Dale however, seemed much more awkward. "You um, you want something to eat?"

"I'm good."

"Something to drink then? I've got some Milo left."

"Naw, I'm just going to turn in." She said, and then stopped. "Milo? Really?"

"I'll bring it in to you."

Preparing the drink was more of a project without an electric kettle, but Skylar had scrounged a stainless steel travel mug, and Dale had talked Heather into giving them a Bunsen burner tripod. With these two things they could heat a mug's worth of hot water with a candle in a few minutes, and then pour the water into any other cup.

Skylar was in the living room, settled on the couch, flipping through his notebook. "Didn't know you were into cars."

"Engines." Dale handed her the cup. "We'll get in good with Jake if we can scrounge some parts."

She took long sips of the hot drink as she looked at the huge stack of books next to his notepad. "Still a long way to go."

"Always is." He gave her the mug and watched her drink. "I shouldn't have left you alone."

"You didn't." Skylar told him pointedly. "I bugged you into staying here, and you were there when I needed you. You were right there."

Dale didn't agree, but she wasn't in any shape for him to argue with her right now. "Yeah."

For a few minutes, neither spoke. She patted the couch next to her and he sat down. She leaned a head on his shoulder. "Long day."

Dale didn't answer.

"Heather said that guy was going to be okay. Good thing I'm a lousy shot."

"You okay?"

"Exhausted."

"You should sleep."

Skylar smiled sleepily. She settled back into the couch. She felt Dale stand up, felt somebody put a pillow under her head as she lay down. Felt somebody put a blanket over her.

As she drifted, her eyes focused less than two feet in front of her, on the book on the coffee table. She glanced over to the other end of the room, where Dale had settled himself at the window overlooking the street, with his baseball bat at his side, holding vigil over her as she slept.

"Alas Babylon." She murmured. "It's gonna get worse before it gets better isn't it?"

It wasn't a question, but Dale answered anyway. "Yes."

"Alas, Jericho." Skylar whispered, as she fell asleep.

THE END


End file.
